KAMPALA – MTN Uganda has been awarded a certificate of recognition from the Uganda Revenue Authority granting it special customs status as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO).
AEOs are businesses certified by customs administrations to do self-assessments in compliance with customs rules, under the World Customs Organisation supply chain security standards.
This prestigious status implies that MTN Uganda customers will now be able to access the telecom’s products and services timely due to faster goods clearance, inspection and preferential treatment accorded at the customs and any other services at the taxman.
The URA’s initiative supported by TradeMark East Africa seeks to enhance trade by reducing business costs through simplifying customs procedures.
Andrew Bugembe, the Chief Commercial Officer at MTN Uganda, who received the certificate on behalf of MTN Uganda during the Authorised Economic Operator Conference held at Speke Hotel Resort, Munyonyo, on 11 November 2022, commended URA for granting the telco AEO status to facilitate its smooth operation.
“We are very proud as MTN Uganda for this certificate of an Authorised Economic Operator; it demonstrates our commitment to compliance with the relevant customs laws and regulations in our operations,” he said
“We strongly believe that this authorization will open more opportunities for us as a business for growth as a result of faster clearance of our products at the customs and thus timely delivery to our customers.”
Speaking at the awarding ceremony, John Musinguzi, the Commissioner General at URA said this new development will ease the cost of doing business, boost business turnover, trust and facilitate international trade.
“We are committed as URA to easing customs clearance processes to facilitate smooth flow of international trade to transform our economy and initiatives such as AEO are very perfect to enabling us to meet that goal,” he said.
“I would like to congratulate all the companies that have achieved AEO status with the hope that we will pass on the message to other companies so that they can also become AEOs.”
Companies interested to become AEOs need to be involved in international trade or play a role in the international trade supply chain; able to install and use customs automated systems such as Asycuda World and e-tax; have a good compliance history with the Uganda Revenue Authority for at least 3 years; financially sound, and have implemented the AEO Compliance Program.
MTN Uganda was incorporated in 1998 to operate as a second national operator of a telecommunications network service provider and currently serves more than a 16.7million subscribers.
The company has been the largest taxpayer in Uganda for the last 10 years, having paid UGX 839 billion in 2021 alone.
MTN Uganda is committed to improving the lives of the communities it operates having dedicated 1% of its annual profit after tax to the MTN foundation since 2007 impacting millions of Ugandan lives.
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